New moon before the new year The new moon begins on Dec. 30, 2024, when the illuminated side of the Moon faces the Sun and the night side faces Earth. This long-duration photograph, taken with a camera programmed with high sensitivity, shows an astronaut's perspective during a new moon phase on Sept. 4, 2024, as the Moon set behind Earth's colorful, but dimming atmosphere. For astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), the Moon appears to rise and set 16 times per day, as the station orbits Earth about every 90 minutes. Image description: A new moon with a sliver of the edge illuminated appears behind the edge of Earth's atmosphere, during moonset, and soon to be hidden behind Earth. The atmosphere is blue, with orange and yellow hues below. Credit: NASA/Matt Dominick #MoonPhases #MoonPix #Moon #SpaceStation #NASA #space #HappyNewYear